Spread it thick and nice!

I have noticed that there are quite a few saints who are very committed to the Lord Jesus but do not think that they have much to gain from being very involved in the life of the local church. The preaching is usually on topics that they already know about and the worship times are good, but they are not able to enter more fully into it because they have places to go and things to do. They will show some enthusiasm only when asked to do something important. It is not that they do not love the brethren. It is just that they are involved with more than just the activities of one local church. 

What they do not comprehend, sadly so, is the example of Jesus who gave His all to the twelve. In a deeper way. In trying to serve the many, we can lose out on deepening our relationship with the few. I believe that ultimately what the world should see is not how much we do but how much we love each other. No matter what our ministry is, it is only in the context of the local church that relationships can be built and love can be expressed in depth. It is our tragedy of our times that we think we carry love but do not have a place to deposit that love, except maybe within the context of our own family. Surely our love should extend beyond the four walls of our home, but it cannot be spread too thin at the same time. Let's spread it thick and nice.